Typically, a light emitting diode (LED) emits light into a full hemisphere. For some applications, such as for display lighting or general room lighting, such an output can be desirable. However, for other applications, such as for a flashlight or a vehicular headlight, a more focused output is required.
To provide this narrower output light distribution angle, the light output from the LED often is condensed. A variety of devices have been developed to condense light from an LED, such as devices that utilize a compound parabolic collector. Unfortunately, these prior devices have a number of drawbacks including being expensive to produce, physically large, and inefficient.